Jazz has been around long enough
for us to see it's most respected practitioners become gray, paunchy, and
venerable. The precocity of a Wynton Marsalis already famous by the age of
twenty-three is startling. But during the swing era, youth was the norm and the
advent of middle age a potential symptom of stagnation.
Nearly all the
prominent jazz musicians active in the 1930's (with the notable exception of
Duke Ellington, born in 1899) were born in the twentieth century. Most had
established their reputations before they reached thirty and steadily rose in
their field even in the midst of depression.
One of those masters were
Coleman Hawkins, nick named "Hawk" and "Bean". Born November 12, 1904, in St.
Joseph, MO. He was taught piano from the age of five by his mother, a school
teacher who played organ. He took cello at about the age of seven, then
requested a tenor saxophone, which he received on his ninth birthday. By the
time he was 12 he was performing professionally at school dances. He went to
high school in Chicago, then attended Washington College in Topeka, Kansas, for
about 2 years, during which time, he studied harmony and
composition.
Hawkin's first regular job, beginning in the spring of
1921, was playing in the orchestra of the 12th Street Theater in Kansas City.
That summer Mamie Smith performed at the theater, and offered Hawkins a
position touring with her group the Jazz Hounds. By March 1922 Hawkins was
working with Smith at the Garden of Joy in New York. He made his first
recordings with her shortly afterwards, but his contributions are frequently
indiscernible, a notable exception being on "I'm gonna get you".
Early
in 1923 he toured with the Jazz Hounds as far as California, where the group
performed in the revue "Struttin' Along", but left after it returned to New
York in June.
In 1924 he joined Fletcher Henderson for ten years, and
instantly became a star: with his roller coaster speed he was one of the team
of omnipotent Henderson "Killers" that included his old idol Buster Bailey and
trombonist Jimmy Harrison, who became a close friend.
Hawkins dressed in
the most expensive clothes, drove the fastest cars on Henderson's tours and
quickly established himself as the Attila of Jazz saxophone, ruthlessly cutting
down anyone rash enough to challenge him.
His contributions to the
unbridled stomping power of Henderson's orchestra was mighty, as demonstrated
by an early classic "Stampede". In spare moments the killer also arranged for
Henderson's band, including a Bert William's pastiche of "Singin' In The Rain"
for Jimmy Harrison, which he admitted, "sounded a little different!"
By
1934 he had become disillusioned with Henderson and was asked to join Jack
Hylton, London, England. He played the London Palladium with Hylton's band and
for the next 5 years was to work not only in England but in Holland, France,
Denmark (his favorite) Switzerland, Sweden and elsewhere. Away from the
American downgrading of his race, Hawkins could cut the dash he felt he
deserved, but in 1939 he made his leisurely way back to Chicago. "Fletcher was
playing. He knew I was in the audience and sent a waiter with a note saying,
"Don't you think it's about time the leave of absence is over? And signed his
name at the bottom!"
While he was re-establishing his saxophone
supremacy at Kelley's Stables on 52nd Street in 1939,Hawkins recorded the side
forever to be most associated with his name. "Body And Soul", which he used as
a ten-chorus feature at Kelly's, was recorded in a two-chorus abbreviation for
RCA Victor, and the record- a prototype of jazz sax, with subtly amended
changes, graceful swooping improvisations and faultless execution-became a jazz
classic to place Armstrong's "West End Blues".
Hawkin's involvement with
bebop in the years that followed was confident, swift, and all-embracing. Where
other musicians, such as Dave Tough or Roy Eldridge, felt inadequate and
bruised by the revolution, modern jazz supplied Hawkins with the new harmonic
challenges he needed.
By 1943 he led a sextet with Don Byas, Thelonious
Monk, and trumpeter Benny Harris, and he took an interest in the careers of
young musicians such as Fats Navarro, Oscar Pettiford, Max Roach and Dizzy
Gillespie.
He was also regularly with Norman Grantz's Jazz At The
Philharmonic from 1946 (with Lester Young),led a quintet with frequent
colleague Roy Eldridge and continued to forge a solo career which never
declined.
Even in the fashion conscious 1950's, when Hawkin's heavy
toned gruff saxophone seemed to take a second place to young turks such as Stan
Getz or Zoot Sims, there was never any serious doubt that he was still the
finest exponent of his instrument.
Coleman Hawkins was more than a
stylist. He is a great stylist, of course, but he was also a very, very good
musician. He played jazz, and he also played the instrument the way it should
be played. If he were to be placed among symphony musicians he would command
their respect. You might say the secret of his success was that he has a
natural gift and he took trouble to develop it, just like Duke.
In terms
of durable artistic accomplishment and growth, the only parallel to Hawkins'
career is provided by that of Duke Ellington. Hawkins has been challenged by
different styles several times in his long career, but his supremacy was soon
be reasserted. Basic to this, and his ability to go on adding creatively, is
his sound.
There have many approaches, but for the majority of musicians
and listeners, the Hawkins tone has consistently represented the ultimate. The
tones of some others have been appealing, permissible deviations, though they
often have suggested loyalties split between alto and tenor. Others again have
sought to match Hawkins tone, but they have never quite attained its full,
rounded power and authority.
Hawkins was a brilliant musical thinker who
was remarkably open to new developments in jazz as well as classical music;
this was reflected in both his personnel and the repertory of his
groups.
Young saxophonists continue to find aspiration in Hawkins'
recordings. His influence has certainly endured.
JazzReview.com
